Multi-well vessels, such as microplates, multi-well containers, or microtiter plates having specifications recommended by the Society for Biomolecular Sciences are routinely used in many different scientific processes. These processes include, for example, nucleic acid amplification or sequencing applications of use in biological research and in-vitro diagnostics as well as compound library screening as part of drug discovery efforts, among numerous others. The multi-well format is favored, at least in part, because it provides a mechanism for performing a given process in a highly parallel manner, with well densities of 96, 384, 1536, or more being regularly utilized. This typically translates to improved throughput in addition to reagent cost savings, since smaller volumes of reagents are used per sample as well density increases.
Microplate-based applications are also increasingly automated, which tends to further improve process throughput. Typical systems include microplate transport mechanisms, fluid handling stations, and microplate storage units in which microplates are often processed entirely in the absence of direct human intervention. For example, microplate transport mechanisms generally include robotic gripping devices or translocation platforms that move microplates between storage units and system processing stations according to programmed instructions. Fluid handling stations typically include pipetting mechanisms, pin tools, or other fluid transfer implements that are used to add and remove reagents or other fluidic materials to/from selected wells in microplates as a given assay or other process is being performed. To enable longer periods of unattended operation, microplate storage units are generally structured to store multiple microplates for subsequent use. Some storage units have multiple shelves on which microplates are stored, whereas other units include housings or frames in which microplates are simply vertically stacked on top of one another. The former configuration, unlike the latter, typically provides for random access of microplates stored in a given unit. Existing microplate managements systems, however, have limited flexibility for adapting to new applications or more complex operations.